DIG 



DIG 



avoid all spirituous liquor ; a little wine 

 is often well applied, as it stimulates 

 him to take food which he would not 

 otherwise touch, and enables him to 

 digest it more easily. Here the diet 

 cannot be too plain and simple : rice is 

 one of the best vegetables, whether in 

 gruel or in a solid form, and should be 

 duly intermixed with animal food, ei- 

 ther roasted or boiled, at the patient's 

 option. 



Bath water in moderation, and with 

 strict attention to the state of the bow- 

 els, often proves an excellent restorative. 

 Soda water is one of the best beverages 

 that can be prescribed. Much walking 

 usually induces dropsy, and should there- 

 fore be avoided ; moderate exercise, how- 

 ever, is of high importance, and it may 

 be varied with great advantage by riding 

 on horseback, in a carriage, and short 

 excursions on the water. 



There are several other diseases, which 

 are also dependent upon a vitiated state 

 Of the digestive organs, and are pecu- 

 liarly the objects of dietetic medicine. 

 But, in general, they will be found of less 

 consequence, and more easily subdued : 

 they will be characterised by the slighter 

 symptoms attendant, upon those already 

 noticed, and will yield to the common 

 plan of medical regimen prescribed for 

 their cure. 



DIFFERENCES, in heraldry, certain 

 additaments to coat armour, whereby 

 something is added or altered, to distin- 

 guish younger families from the elder. 



Of these differences Sylvanus Morgan 

 gives us nine ; viz. the label, for the first 

 son; the crescent, for the second; the 

 mullet, for the third; the martlet, for 

 the fourth; the annulet, for the fifth; 

 the flower-de-lis, for the sixth ; the rose, 

 for the seventh ; the eight-foil, for the 

 eighth ; and the cross-moline, for the 

 ninth. 



Again, as the first differences are sin- 

 gle for the sons of the first houss or de- 

 scent, the sons of the younger house are 

 differed by combing or putting the said 

 differences upon each other. As the first 

 differences are the label, crescent, &c. 

 for the first house, the difference for the 

 second house is the label on the crescent 

 for the first of that house ; for the third 

 brother of the second house, a mullet on 

 a crescent, &c. 



DIFFERENTIAL calculus. See CAI- 

 ctrius. 



DIGESTER, an instrument to dissolve 

 solid animal substances, in a manner 



somewhat similar to that performed by 

 the stomach. The vessel was invented 

 by Papin : hence it is usually called " Pa- 

 pin's Digester." After putting meat into 

 it, together with a sufficient quantity of 

 water, a lid is closely screwed on, so as 

 to admit no external air. By a moderate 

 fire the meat will, in the course of six 

 or eight minutes, be reduced to a perfect 

 pulp : by augmenting the heat of the fire, 

 or extending the time of digestion, the- 

 hardest bones may be converted into a 

 jelly. To these machines there is also a 

 safety valve, which should always be 

 kept in good order ; for if, by any means, 

 it is put over the fire, and the valve inca- 

 pable of opening, the most fatal conse- 

 quences may happen from the immense 

 power of confined steam. 



DIGESTION, in animal economy. An 

 important distinction exists between ani- 

 mals and vegetables, in the mode in which 

 they receive their nourishment. Vege- 

 tables are constantly absorbing matter 

 from the soil ; it immediately passes into 

 the sap vessels, and is soon changed by 

 respiration and secretion. Animals, on 

 the contrary, with very few exceptions, 

 take in food at intervals, and retain it in 

 their stomach for a considerable time, 

 where it undergoes a chemical change, 

 which constitutes the function of diges- 

 tion, the first step in the general process 

 by which animal matter is formed. See 

 PHYSIOLOGY. 



DIGKSTIOJT, in chemistry, an effect 

 produced bv the continued soaking of a 

 solid substance in a liquid, with the ap- 

 plication of heat. 



DIGIT, DiHiTus, in astronomy, the 

 twelfth part of the diameter of the sun or 

 moon, is used to express the. quantity of 

 an eclipse. Thus an eclipse is said to be 

 of six digits, when six of these parts are 

 hid. 



DiriT is also a measure taken from 

 the breadth of the finger. It is properly 

 three-fourlhs of an inch, and contains the 

 measure of four barley-corns laid bread tli- 

 wise. 



DIOITS, in a ri ' i s i ' - 



integer under 10, as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 

 8,9. 



DIGITALIS, in botany, English for- 

 glove, a genus of the Didynamia Angios- 

 permia class and order. Natural order 

 of Luridae, Linnaeus. Scrophulariae, Jus- 

 sicu. Essential character: calyx five- 

 parted ; corolla bell-form, five-cleft, bel- 

 lying; capsule ovate, two-celled. There 

 are twelve species. These are large 



